Psychometric Evaluation of an Alternate Scoring for the Remote Associates Test

The Remote Associates Test (RAT; Mednick, 1962; Mednick & Mednick, 1967) is a commonly employed test of creative convergent thinking. The RAT is scored with a dichotomous scoring, scoring correct answers as 1 and all other answers as 0. Based on recent research into the information processing underlying RAT performance, we argued that the dichotomous scoring may lead to a loss of potentially relevant information. Thus, we proposed an alternate scoring based on semantic similarity between the answer given by the participant and the correct solution using Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA; Landauer & Dumais, 1997). We evaluate the psychometric properties of the alternate LSA scoring and found evidence of construct validity for the LSA scoring which was comparable to findings for the standard scoring, but not better as we would have expected. Thus, our expectations that LSA-based scoring of the RAT counteracts potential information loss were not met. However, LSA based scorings appear to be a promising alternative for hardly solvable RAT items. We conducted additional analyses comparing different RAT item types with regard to their validity as well as evaluating the information uniquely contained in the LSA scoring. Implications of all finding for existing research using RAT items are discussed.     

An Alternate Form of the Matching Familiar Figures Test

Two studies support the development of an alternate form of the adult Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT).     

A Role for Equity Theory in the Turnover Process: An Empirical Test1

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of equity theory in the context of the contemporary turnover process. A model was developed and tested with 192 hospital employees using structural equation modeling (SEM), which placed satisfaction and intention to quit as mediators of employee turnover. The results strongly support the present model, but also suggest a role for other mediators, some of which are suggested for future research.     

Information,Experience, and Divergent Thinking: An Empirical Test

ABSTRACT: Divergent thinking tests are often used to estimate the potential for creative problem solving. Scores on these tests may, however, reflect a kind of experiential bias. Similar biases once plagued IQ tests, the idea being that scores reflect the individual's background and information in long-term memory as much as ability per se. The investigation reported here attempted to assess the role of experience, knowledge, and memory in divergent thinking by comparing 2 kinds of tasks. One was a standard divergent thinking task (e.g., "list uses for a shoe," "uses for a brick," "uses for a newspaper"). The other allowed a number of responses but required that the examinee produce factual, knowledge- based responses. A second objective here was to compare standard- and knowledge-based ideation with tasks that shared 1 domain (e.g., transportation) with tasks that did not share a domain. Results indicated that there was a statistically significant correlation between the 2 types of tasks but only when they shared 1 domain. This was confirmed with product–moment correlations (r = .37, p = .025) and a canonical correlation (Rc = .69, p = 008). The correlations were not significant when the tasks represented different domains. It is interesting to note that both the knowledge-based and the standard divergent thinking tasks were unrelated to grade point average, which supports their discriminant validity. Limitations and directions for future research are suggested.     

An Empowerment Evaluation Model for Sexual Assault Programs: Empirical Evidence of Effectiveness

Using an empowerment evaluation approach, the Sexual Assault and Rape Prevention (SARP) Evaluation Project brought together university researchers, public health evaluators, state funders, and program staff to provide evaluation training and consultation to all state-funded rape prevention and victim services programs in Michigan. In this paper, the specific activities of the SARP project are described, and process and outcome data are presented that address the effectiveness of this empowerment evaluation approach. Based on subjective reports from program staff and objective data obtained from state funders, results suggest that this evaluation model was successful in helping 90% of the prevention programs and 75% of the victim services programs successfully develop and launch program evaluations. One-year follow-up data indicate that 90% of the programs had sustained their evaluation efforts after the formal work of the SARP project had ended.     

An Empirical Evaluation of Millon's Dimensional Polarities

LASTPAGE study investigated the theoretical consistency for Millon's dimensional polarities (T. Millon &; R. D. Davis, 1996; T. A. Widiger, 1999) by administering the Millon Index of Personality Styles (MIPS; T. Millon, 1994) and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III; T. Millon, 1997) to 50 university counseling center students. Data were analyzed by correlating the MIPS polarity dimension scales with the personality disorder scales of the MCMI-III. Findings suggested more inconsistencies than consistencies with the underlying theoretical model. The greatest discrepancies were found for the expected relationships between the polarity dimensions and the narcissistic and compulsive scales, and to a lesser degree, the schizoid, avoidant, schizotypal, and negativistic scales. Discussion concerned how these divergencies might best be understood in light of Millon's conceptualization of Axis II disorders.     

An Empirical Test of Nonresponse Bias in Internet Surveys

In surveys, nonresponse is considered a source of possible bias, which increases with the size of the nonresponding group. Nonresponse bias was investigated in 3 samples of offending drivers who were required to respond to an online questionnaire before taking a driver improvement course, creating an initial 100% response rate. The next 2 questionnaire waves were voluntary, and response rates were much lower. Results (means, internal consistency, correlations, etc.) in the first wave were compared between those who responded twice or thrice and those who responded only to the first wave. No substantial differences were found. Compared to common method variance, the effects of nonresponse are very small.     

Study Preregistration: An Evaluation of a Method for Transparent Reporting

Study preregistration promotes transparency in scientific research by making a clear distinction between a priori and post hoc procedures or analyses. Management and applied psychology have not embraced preregistration in the way other closely related social science fields have. There may be concerns that preregistration does not add value and prevents exploratory data analyses. Using a mixed-method approach, in Study 1, we compared published preregistered samples against published non-preregistered samples. We found that preregistration effectively facilitated more transparent reporting based on criteria (i.e., confirmed hypotheses and a priori analysis plans). Moreover, consistent with concerns that the published literature contains elevated type I error rates, preregistered samples had fewer statistically significant results (48%) than non-preregistered samples (66%). To learn about the perceived advantages, disadvantages, and misconceptions of study preregistration, in Study 2, we surveyed authors of preregistered studies and authors who had never preregistered a study. Participants in both samples had positive inclinations towards preregistration yet expressed concerns about the process. We conclude with a review of best practices for management and applied psychology stakeholders.

     

Information Technology Support For Debiasing Group Judgments: An Empirical Evaluation

Human judgments, made by either individuals or groups, have been found to contain biases. One of the most prevalent biases identified is the availability bias, associated with the phenomenon that events which are more available to human memory are correspondingly judged as occurring more frequently or as being more important. This paper is concerned with how to reduce the availability bias in the group context. It reports an experiment in which two computer-based support facilities, electronic brainstorming and electronic mail, were tested for their contributions to reducing the availability bias. A 2 x 2 experimental design was used: electronic brainstorming (available or not) and communication mode (electronic or verbal). Forty teams of three members each were asked to work on a task involving the rating of the importance of a number of items associated with a secretary's task. Both electronic brainstorming and electronic communication helped reduce the availability bias. In both cases, the reduction in bias was due to increased attention paid to items that were found to have low availability in the absence of these support tools. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Protestant Clergy and the Culture Wars: An Empirical Test of Hunter's Thesis

Examinations of culture wars typically assess the attitudes of the American public. This study instead focuses on culture wars among religious elites—clergy—and tests three aspects of the culture wars thesis: (1) whether religious elites are engaged in culture wars, (2) whether clergy attitudes are polarized on these issues, and (3) whether religious authority or religious affiliation is more salient in creating culture wars cleavages. Using data from a large random sample of Protestant clergy, we find a substantial amount of engagement in culture wars by all types of Protestant clergy. The amount of polarization is more attributable to views of religious authority (i.e., biblical inerrancy) than to religious tradition. Moreover, polarization among clergy is somewhat more evident on culture wars issues than on other social and political issues. These findings are generally supportive of the culture wars thesis and should help return examinations of culture wars back to where they were originally theorized to be waged: among elites.     

An Alternate Method of Deriving Priorities and Related Inferences for Group Decision Making in Analytic Hierarchy Process

Some work has been carried out in the past on statistically deriving priorities in Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). In AHP, the aggregated worths of the alternatives, when compared with respect to several criteria, are estimated in a hierarchical comparisons model introduced by Saaty. In this setup, statistical models are used for Saaty's method of scaling in paired comparisons experiments in any level of the hierarchy. At the end, the final priority weights of the alternatives and related inferences are developed with appropriate statistical methods. Existing statistical methods in the literature assume independence of the entries of the paired comparison matrix. However, these entries are highly dependent among themselves. In this article, we propose a statistical method that allows for the dependence among the entries of the pairwise comparisons matrix. The proposed method is then illustrated with a numerical example. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Alternate Forms of the Matching Familiar Figures Test: A Critical Note

Criticism is leveled at attempts to develop alternative forms of the Matching Familiar Figures test when the literature suggests that what is required is a more reliable test, not simply an alternate version.     

幼儿友好型内隐联想测验的建构及有效性

本研究依据经典IAT (Implicit Association Test)的核心原理构建了幼儿友好型内隐联想测验(Preschooler-friendly Implicit Association Test, PSF-IAT)。它由两部分联结任务组成, 以反应时为指标, 通过对概念刺激和属性刺激之间自动化联系的评估进而对幼儿的内隐态度进行间接测量。本研究采用两种方式对PSF-IAT范式的适用性进行验证：首先, 将PSF-IAT用于测试幼儿对花和虫的态度, 检验该范式在非社会范畴概念态度研究中的可行性; 其次, 将PSF-IAT用于测试幼儿内隐种族态度, 并验证其与另一种幼儿内隐态度测试方法间结果的相关性, 检验该范式在社会范畴概念态度研究中的可行性。研究结果表明, PSF-IAT符合学前儿童认知发展与行为反应的特点, 能有效测量幼儿的内隐态度。     

薪酬预期与选择:基于三参照点理论的验证与探讨

两项实验研究对新近提出的风险决策的三参照点(TRP)理论进行了验证.实验就大学生对就业的薪酬制度的偏好和选择对三参照点理论的独特推断进行了检验.三参照点理论强调决策参照点对预期结果分布的界定作用.人们在决策时不仅会考虑现状(SQ)还会考虑最低要求(MR)和目标(G).MR,SQ和G三个参照点把结果空间分成了四个功能区域:成功、获益、损失和失败.根据三参照点理论,参照点的心理效应为MR＞>G＞SQ.当预期结果的平均值低于MR(或者G)的时候,人们会偏好风险高的选择以增加达到或者超过参照点的可能性;而当预期结果的平均值高于MR(或者G)的时候,人们会偏好风险低的选择以减少低于MR(或者(G)的可能性.实验1中,根据预先测定的大学生群体对第一份工资的最低要求,准确地预测了参与者在高稳定型、高弹性型和中间型三种工资类型的风险偏好和取舍.实验2进一步探讨了MR和G之间的权衡:实验发现当弹性型工资的浮动范围双向超出MR和G(而不是双向非临界)时,人们会优先考虑MR从而使超过G的可能性的吸引力相对降低;而不会为了追求达到G而忽略低于MR的风险.     

Team Creativity in Web Site Design: An Empirical Test of a Systemic Model

A cross sectional study of 60 student teams examined the impact of team diversity, team interaction processes (planning/organizing) and intrateam conflict on team creativity in a Web site design task. An input–process–output model was used as a theoretical background and it was predicted that team diversity has an indirect impact on team creativity, mediated by planning/organizing and intrateam conflict, as well as a direct impact, with team variety being beneficial for team creativity, and team disparity being detrimental for team creativity. The results support the overall path model and show that the impact of team diversity on team creativity in Web site design is mediated by the team processes and intrateam conflict.     

Smoking and Non-Clinical Panic Attacks: An Initial Empirical Test of Panic-Relevant Cognitive Processes

The present study evaluated panic-relevant cognitive processes in a sample of persons ( n = 70) who met criteria for either: (a) a positive panic attack history and regular smoking (smoking at least 10 cigarettes per day for S 12 months); (2) a positive panic attack history but no history of smoking; or (3) regular smoking history alone (smoking at least 10 cigarettes per day for S 12 months). As hypothesized, participants in group (a) demonstrated significantly greater bodily vigilance and anxiety sensitivity Mental Incapacitation Concerns compared with persons in either groups (b) or (c). Effects involving other dimensions of anxiety sensitivity, suffocation fear and trait anxiety did not discriminate between panickers as a function of smoking status. The observed effects could not be attributed to self-reported physical health status or history of medical problems. The implication of the present findings for understanding the potential role of smoking in panic pathology is discussed.     

An Empirical Evaluation of Training Using Multi-attribute Utility Analysis

Purpose

This paper aims to develop and apply a multi-attribute utility analysis model (MAU) to assess the benefits of HRM interventions as an alternative to the traditional utility analysis method.

Design/Methodology/Approach

MAU adopts a cost-benefit multi-variant approach to assess HRM efficiency using a non-monetary metric. The study employs a quasi-experimental design to examine the training effects on job performance, comparing pre- and post-intervention measures mostly from sub-groups of random sample of 367 trainees.

Findings

We showed that is feasible to adopt a multi-attribute evaluation approach in HRM area by adapting the MAUT technique. Our formal MAU model also demonstrated that it is possible to adopt a broader and more global evaluation approach than other more ??myopic?? models such as traditional UA models. Results after applying our MAU model in a real organization indicated considerable utility from training employees.

Implications

The commitment and involvement of the organization in the evaluation project seem to suggest an interest in comprehensive evaluative models for HRM such as MAU. Because the amount of information that MAU model entails, it may be also used as a strategic instrument for continuous improving of HR interventions and as a mechanism to analyze the evaluation policy of different stakeholders groups.

Originality/Value

We provide a theoretical development of a MAU model and offer its first empirical application in a firm to calculate the utility of training. This contributes to utility analysis research and provides a guide for practitioners evaluating HRM benefits.